South Carolina Gamecock secondary Ron Cooper was promoted to assistant head coach following the 2005 season, due in part to his experience as a former head coach, and his administrative abilities. The promotion also showed the confidence bestowed to him by head coach Steve Spurrier. This shift in duties has placed limits on the amount of time he can devote to recruiting. However, USC's new assistant head coach did land two highly regarded prospects out of Atlanta, Ga., who both have an excellent opportunity to play immediately at Carolina.

Before any mention of recruiting, it should be pointed out that Cooper, who turned 45 last week, is one of the premiere secondary coaches in America. Not only that, but his services have been in high demand. Last summer, sources say Cooper was contacted by Notre Dame to gauge his interest in a position on his coaching staff for 2007. Then in December, new Alabama head coach Nick Saban reportedly contacted the Huntsville, Ala., native about becoming secondary coach for the Crimson Tide. Both positions offered substantial increases in salary, but Cooper chose to remain at South Carolina, due in large part to the stability and working environment provided by coach Spurrier.